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    <span class="topic">Sound hardware</span><hr />

    <p class="heading">Overview</p>
    
    <p class="text">
        The programmable sound generator found inside the 
        NES and Famicom is located inside the CPU chip (called 2A03 for NTSC and 2A07 for 
        PAL).</p>
    
    <ul class="text">
        <li>
            <a href="2a03.htm">The 2A03/2A07 sound is explained on this page</a>
        </li>
    </ul>
    
    <span class="text"><b>External sound hardware</b></span>
    
    <p class="text">
        The Famicom had the possibillity to mix audio from 
        cartridges, this was used by some games to add extra sound channels 
        from chips in cartridges. Some of these 
        chips are supported by famitracker and is enabled from the
        <a href="properties.htm">module properties dialog</a>. Multiple expansion chips 
        enabled at the same time is at this moment not supported.</p>
    
    <p class="text">
        To create instruments for 
        these channels, select the channel with the pattern cursor and then add new 
        instrument.</p>
    
    <p class="text">
        The following sections explains the hardware and 
        instruments:</p>
    
    <ul class="text">
        <li><a href="mmc5.htm">Nintendo MMC5</a></li>
        <li><a href="vrc6.htm">Konami VRC6</a></li>
        <li><a href="vrc7.htm">Konami VRC7</a></li>
        <li><a href="fds.htm">Nintendo FDS</a></li>
        <li><a href="n163.htm">Namco 163</a></li>
    </ul>
    
    <p class="text">
        One chip is still unsupported: Sunsoft 5B.</p>
    
    <table class="noteFrame" cellpadding="5px"><tr><td>    
        <p class="text">
            <b>Note</b>: External sound was 
            not possible on the NES hardware, so songs containing external sound are not 
            strictly NES sound. Expansion chips are also unsupported in PAL mode.
        </p>
    </td></tr></table>

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